Merry-Garden and Other StoriesQuiller-Couch, Arthur
General
Merry-Garden and Other Stories
Quiller-Couch, Arthur
Cornwall (England : County) -- Fiction; France -- Fiction; Short stories
"I wants the loan of your horse and trap, missus," said Tummels.
"Sakes alive, is _that_ all? Why on the wide earth couldn't you ha' gone
fore to stable an' fetched 'em, without spoilin' my beauty-sleep?" asked
Bessie.
"No, missus. To be honest with 'ee that's not nearly all."
Tummels rubbed the back of his head. "Fact is, I'm off in s'arch of your
nephew Phoby Geen, that has taken the _Fly_ round to St. Ives, unless I be
greatly mistaken; and what's more, unless I be greatly mistaken, he means
to lay information against Dan'l."
"If you can prove that to me," says Bessie, "he's no nephew o' mine, and
out he goes from my will as soon as you bring back the trap, and I can
drive into Helston an' see Lawyer Walsh."
"Well, I'm uncommon glad you look at it in that reasonable light," says
Tummels; "for, the man being your own nephew, so to speak, I didn' like to
borry your horse an' trap to use against 'en without lettin' 'ee know the
whole truth."
"I wish," says Bessie, "you wouldn' keep castin' it in my teeth--or what
does dooty for 'em--that the man's my nephew. You'll see how much of a
nephew he is if you can prove what you charge against 'en. But family is
family until proved otherwise; and so, Mr. Tummels, you shall harness up
the horse and bring him around, and I'll go with you to St. Ives to get to
the bottom o' this. On the way you shall tell me what you do know."
She was a well-plucked woman for seventy-five, was Bessie Bussow; and had
a head on her shoulders too. While Tummels was harnessing, she fit and
boiled a dish o' tea to fortify herself, and after drinking it nipped into
the cart as spry as a two-year-old. Off they drove, and came within sight
of Stack's Folly just about the time when Phoby Geen was bringing the
_Fly_ into St. Ives harbour.
They pulled up at the farmhouse under the hill, and out came William Sleep
to welcome them. He listened to their errand and stood for a minute
considering.
"There's only one thing to be done," he announced; "and that is to fetch
up Dr. Martyn. We're workin' that young man hard," said he; "for he only
left the patient a couple of hours ago." He invited Bessie to step inside
and make herself at home; and while Tummels stalled the horse, he posted
down in search of the doctor.
About an hour later the two came walking back together, William Sleep with
news that the _Fly_ was lying alongside St. Ives Quay. He had seen
nothing of Phoby Geen, and hadn't risked inquiring. The young doctor,
though grey in the cheeks and worn with nursing, rang cheerful as a bell.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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